This image features the protective fairing that will encapsulate the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter atop an Atlas V rocket. The lively logo celebrates the intense science mission ahead of the orbiter.

The fairing (nose cone) is 4 meters (13 feet) in diameter and weighs about the same as the spacecraft. It is pictured here in a cleanroom at Kennedy Space Center, being prepared for launch on August 10.

The fairing protects the spacecraft from the weather on the ground as well as from the atmosphere during flight. When the launch vehicle is on the launch pad, the spacecraft is supplied with air conditioning in order to control temperature and to protect it from dust and dirt.

Shortly after Centaur engine ignition, the fairing is no longer needed, so it is separated into its two halves by explosive bolts and jettisoned. This operation is automatically controlled by timers in the Centaur. The two fairing halves swing away to either side of the spacecraft and fall back to Earth, landing in the ocean.